FROM

Killing animals without pre-stunning is still
allowed by a European regulation (EC No. 1099/2009) which permits it in the
case of animals subject to particular methods of slaughter prescribed by
religious rites.

Animal Equality’s investigations department has again infiltrated the
Italian lamb meat industry. They have gone inside one of the roughly 200
abattoirs in the country that are allowed to slaughter without pre-stunning,
a cruel practice inflicted every year upon hundreds of thousands of animals.

The footage, filmed through the use of hidden cameras, shows how workers
systematically break many health and hygiene regulations and, most
importantly, ignore all the existing standards for the protection of
animals. Lambs suffer both physical and psychological torture:

All animals are slaughtered while still conscious
Using compressed air, workers inflate still conscious animals with
compressed air to rip the skin from the muscles.
Workers violently kick animals and stomp on them without reason
Lambs are shoved and others are dragged by their tail

Killing animals without pre-stunning is still allowed by a European
regulation (EC No. 1099/2009) which permits it in the case of animals
subject to particular methods of slaughter prescribed by religious rites.
However, slaughterhouses granted with this waiver often take advantage of it
at the expense of animals. This criminal behavior is incentivized by both
the absence of strict controls and the lack of legal consequences for those
who abuse animals. To this day, there are only a few fines issued under this
law.

Animal Equality is asking the Italian Parliament to take action by
introducing a law to criminalize animal abuse in slaughterhouses. Animal
Equality is also asking that video surveillance be mandatory in all
slaughterhouses.

Matteo Cupi, Executive Director of Animal Equality Italia, stated: “Even in
slaughterhouses operating according to regulations, animals fear and suffer
beyond imagination. In a civil society such as ours, it’s inadmissible that
there isn’t any law that punishes people who harm animals unnecessarily and
on purpose. It’s time to put an end to this.”

You too can take action for these delicate animals by leaving them off your
plate.

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